The Spectrum Crisis
by Madnesz23
Summary: A revised story of 'The Spectrum Jewel' with the interest of a further expansion of what goes down and not jumping swiftly into the action. With the appearance of a blue fox and his unknown gemstone, the world of Mobius not only faces Robotnik's reign and control, but also the actions of what is to come.
1. Chapter 1

The tick of a clock echoed through the empty stone corridors that had seen the steps of people as another came down, dressed in a lab coat and casual pants and shirt as the figure was male and checking things over on a clip board before he stopped at a door and spoke. "Access Code Gamma-Epsilon-Mike, Authorization Code Sigma." The door opened and he walked in as he looked up, inside a reactor type of facility, to look upon a gemstone of clear material, fourteen motes of colors filling the interior like wisps across the dark of night, suspended in a containment field and seemed to gaze back at him as he walked across the steel catwalks before he stopped at the main terminal and he pulled out a video recorder before he activated it. "This is the audio log of Alexander Y. Tumorr, of the faction of his own choosing." He breathed as he continued and dealt with a number of dials. "This is month two dating to the disappearance of a close friend and the appearance of the gemstone, labeled as 'Spectrum Jewel', and after all this time, tests will now begin to uncover its realm or dimension of origin, in hopes to find the lost comrade. As starting, this audio log will serve as a notion of safety and understanding to the mind as this project proceeds into its stages. With hope, I will see this to an answer or fail in sorrow. For the truth, Alexander Y. Tumorr signing off." He clicked it and pocketed it before slipping in a different recording into the recorder, the one he just did pocketed as he played the new one and smiled.

The recording was one that he made when the faction was formed, when its key members all debated the names before it was decided for the 'Emeralds' for the change that they would bring forth. He nodded before he straightened up, finishing the touches before he spoke again. "Within our hopes, without our fears, we stand at the threshold, to face the next..." He slowly pulled the lever and the machine kicked into gear as he recorded everything that came from the results, but he paused at the second reading as it was measuring the power levels it would project, but it went from a near flatline to seismic properties. His eyes widening as he rushed back over to shut the machine down as he was in belief that the machine's invasive actions to the gem may be causing the stone to crack and, ultimately, shatter but the machine was not the cause as he worked to turn it all off, taking one factor out of the question and it was the one he didn't expect as he stood in front of the stone once more, that the stone was going home and its power was going to envelope the entire base as he called out as he rushed for the door. "Not good, not good, NOT GOOD!" With that, the surge was absorbed before it erupted, Alexander screamed as he felt his body shift and cracked and he fell into a forced sleep as everything turned white and his mind closed...

* * *

He stirred once more as he blinked a few times to see the sky, or rather a sky upside down and he looked up and grimaced. It was not that he was in a reverse world, but it was the fact that he was falling to his death as he whirled about to right himself before looking around, spotting the Jewel and lashing out a hand, gloved in white, and was glad to still have his energy lash as its blue energy of a material extended out of the bracer and grabbed it, he pulling it back and snatching it before he hid it and he reached for his other hand. "Here's hoping that whatever brought me here is kind to me!" He slipped out a booklet-sized plate of material before he threw it down, his hope renewed as the plate extended out and transformed into a board that hovered and he grabbed onto it, wincing as he felt a muscle pull, but he pulled himself onto the tool as he breathed as the board slowly descended down, lucky that he wasn't so high that he was well over the clouds. "Crap, that was too close, good thing I am not afraid of heights, otherwise I would have been shocked stiff to even do anything to save my own hide." He adjusted and sat on the metal, feeling the pull of gravity on his body as the board came him stable as he looked over the view. His home based itself on the wastes and ruins of a old city center, miles of sand, dirt, and rubble in every way from their home, but here, he beheld the wonders of a lush green world, the air breathing like it is made in such a rapid time that it was abundant in the world, he smiling as he rested his elbows on his knees at the view.

"Man, if Eliza ever saw this, I bet she..." His smile faded as he instead bit his lip. "...Why did I think that, she isn't going to see this, I don't even know when or where this is." He groaned as he twirled and rested fully on the board as he looked up to the clouds in wonder. "Still... it would be nice..." She sighed before he righted himself and standing up, the board still as stabilized as he hoped as he raised a foot and slid it into place at the front. "Time to get going." He twisted and waited for the board to zoom, but it didn't as it spoke with its robotic voice.

"Operator not recognized, shutting down."

"Wait, what...!?" IT was too late as he yelped as the board collapsed... he felling a short distance before the board slammed into his head, permitting a 'oof' as he fell backward and rubbed his head as he growled. "What do you mean 'Operator not recognized', I am Alexander Y. ...Tumorr..." He raised his pointed hand and saw that it had changed, it was smaller than he had remembered, but it was the blue underneath that scared him the most as he reached over and started to slip it off to find that his hand was no longer human, instead it looked more like a anthromorphic fox hand as he flexed it in shock before he glanced down to find that his own body faced the same change, he had turned into a different race of creature, a humanized fox of blue fur, his boots looking to be a usual appearance to a traveling boot, his coat tattered and he must have lost so much, but he reached into the pocket where he put the recorder and breathed as he pulled it out and played it as he listened to a different section.

 _'Are you sure that this will record my voice... Oh, sure, I would love that.'_ The voice cleared as it spoke again, the user female. _'Hey, Alex, Kistan said that you like using these and I thought to use one to soothe your fears whenever you are in a panic and I like my own voice just the same, so I thought to make this one with you in mind.'_ Alexander breathed as the voice continued. _'Don't give up, you have been the mind in this whole faction and we have come to trust your word and support you when the odds are against, so don't give in to whatever mess you find yourself in, take a step back and thought it through. If it's not worth it anymore, then you have my permission to give up, but if you can make a difference, then do it, just don't forget that you are not alone in the world._ ' The recording stopped and he breathed once more with the smile as he stared up.

"...Thank, Eliza..." He sat up and pocketed the recorder and picked up the hover board, fiddling with it before opening its access port and showing his band to the scanner inside before he spoke. "Recognize Operator Alexander Y. Tumorr and adjust settings to match current form of Operator."

"Order confirmed, welcome Operator Alexander Tumorr." Alex nodded as he stood up and tossed the board, it extending out as he jumped on and tried again, his new addition of three tails swishing behind him as he punched it, the board going as it sped down the hillside and toward the small town below...

* * *

The town was not that busy, but it did feature a small, empty machine shop as Alex panted in relief as he rode over and started to take stock with his gear before assembling a new set of things, replacing the coat with a vest of some spare leather and metal material before getting to work on a set of pistols, their ammo the tenth of the same energy power as he charged a custom clip to get the right settings into it, pausing as he let the machine cool down, slotting the new ammo into one of the pistols before he stashed it in the front as he walked over to the door and opened it as a young wolf was about to ring the bell that was linked to the shop, the male pausing before pulling the hand back and asking. "So, from what part of Mobius are you from...?" Alex thought fast as he chose the more apparent option.

"I'm... from up north, I have been living there for some time before coming down this way."

"Oh, an escapee from Robotnik's extending reach?" A name meant a number of things as the wolf continued. "Well, just to let you know, closing time for this place is eight PM... if the owner was still around, so don't stay up too long."

"Got it, thanks for the concern." Alex answered as he closed the door, looking over the things close by before he stepped over to the counter of the shop and switching the audio logs, erasing the experiment as he added a new one. "This is the audio log of Anders the Azure Fox, of an independent identity, making this audio log to detail the events of his travels through this new world of 'Mobius'." He nodded with a breath. "I have made it to a nearby town and set up a short stay in the machine shop there and have started to prime myself for any trouble, but so far, the only sound of trouble is a figure named 'Robotnik', details will have to be found out before I continue for the risk of bumping into the forces of this new figure." He nodded as he powered up the device again and started to charge the second clip, the sound accustom to a drill or a scrubber. "For now, I will be using the shop as both a method of income and a hideout until I can figure out more, but until then, I will wait for the next day to move forward with the plans as, due to both the late-night research and the sudden arrival, I feel the tick of the hour on my body. With the faith in my own skill and belief, Anders the Azure Fox reporting out." He cut the recording and pocketed the whole thing as he started to work a bit before he retired to bed, the bed a mess, but the pillows and blanket of good quality as he found the sofa to be a good place to rest and he drifted into a actual slumber for the time as he dreamt of his life past and the adventure that he would be faced with...

* * *

Sonic was surprised with himself as he rested in Tails' workshop, Eggman's Empire made a move on the distant islands and G.U.N. repelled the robotic legions and loyal grunts, but no sooner had they won did the islands suddenly start to wave the scientist's ugly mug, somehow he managed to sneak in from a different side and capture the towns, the disappearing wares of G.U.N. due to the revolting populace as the blue hedgehog hero sighed, rubbing his face as he mused. 'How did Egghead get so much support, did he use another hair-brained scheme?' If he did, Sonic would have been all over him, but nothing turned up, but here he was, waiting on Tails to tell him that he was right or wrong of a new Eggman scheme, he pausing as he mused. 'Man, how long has the Acorn family gone missing, I could really use Sal's help here when things are starting to get out of control.'

"Well, Sonic..." Tails spoke as he entered the room, his look added with a light jacket and bandolier belt with a few EMP bombs for close combat, as he looked over the data and intel that Sonic brought. "...Good news is that there is no signs of a device that could stimulate a wave of mind control on the island."

"And the bad news...?" Sonic asked as Tails sighed as he brought the pad down and answered.

"That is another territory lost to Robotnik within the month and we are getting worse off for wear, we are lucky to be in the Mystic province, but we are running out of room, Sonic." The blue hero nodded as he sat up, his best friend and 'brother' carrying on. "I wish I could help you a bit better, but we have lost contact with Knuckles, G.U.N. is pinned down, and we have no clue where Eggman is getting his troops from."

"Yeah..." Sonic answered with a distant look in his eyes as he continued. "I can run to see what I can find, but I don't think that it will help much if I don't have directions on the locations."

"Yeah, it's that bad that Eggman has been choking the airways with his propaganda and his satellites orbiting about." Tails nodded as he sorted out locations and handed a copy to Sonic. "Check these places, we don't have much time..."

"Got it, little buddy." Sonic jumped up and bolted out the door, running at his fastest speeds to find out what he can, pausing at a rock as he looked over to the horizon in question. 'What was that... it felt... strange..." He shrugged and bolted for the places that Tails marked and report back what he could find...

* * *

Alex, or rather Anders, was hard at work as a number of folks in the village wanted some repair jobs and things that he provided as he worked like a devil escaping the confines of his former home, tires and treks replaced and remade as his most profitable revenue was cars, trucks, and tractors. Involved with the Rings that comprise the world's currency for the most part was the information that flowed across the world, Ivo Robotnik was his name, a genius scientist who was interested for the world dominated by his Empire, the Egg Empire, while the foe to the advances would be the G.U.N. which stands for Guardian Units of Nations, a combined force of robotics and humans or highlanders against the growing reign of Robotnik, the ranks bolstering with the addition of the species of Mobians, he himself a Mobian from the sound of it while there was a mechanical version used by Robotnik and under his control as Robians.

The details further expanded on the fact that the Empire were the first to employ Mobians as part of its force, the Egg Army that willing converted a part of their body into soulless machinery and lead by powerful and skilled Egg Bosses, willingly following his commands and could easily blend into the other societies as long as they either hide their metal pieces or ensure that those who do are soon subjected to a full transformation. He nodded as he finished up with a tractor, the elderly weasel nodding with praise as Anders headed out to the shop to cobble together the data and get a basic standing in the world, best to saddle down in this village of Barkly so he could either step up or stay down. 'This is not the first time that something of this caliber has occurred, but this is the first time that any situation looked so dismayed for the 'good guys'.' He continued on to the shop, pausing for a moment as he turned, a pair of young bears leaning against the wall when they weren't there prior, his eyes narrowed as he turned back and continued on, the crunch of their steps following him and ahead was some more company before he snarled, whipping about to the bears who stood in front of a ferret that was their boss or leader, drawls and drawings of 'Robotnik's' marks about them. "Would you kindly back off, I am going home."

"No can do, everyone here is in support of Dr. Robotnik and you are not on the list." The ferret said as Anders turned fully to him. "Now, you are going to pay up or we will get rough with you."

"Then you have never faced someone like me before." He whiplashed his pistol and fired, the armored glove of one of the bears destroyed as he gripped his hand in a painful howl before a second round found the other's leg, pulling him down as Anders stated. "You think this is a game, you think that someone is going to lay down and die at your feet when you call it." His eyes blazed with resolve, will, and belief as he continued. "I can think of twenty ways to end your lives here and now and I would have no remorse as you fired the first shot by cornering and if you think numbers are going to save you, both of your bruisers have a small hole the size of a penny through their hand and their leg, I can kill you either way." He snarled again as the gang backed some to his words. "Now... move it, before I make it a mission to kill." They scrambled out of there right quick, leaving the bears to groan in pain as the pistol returned. "Come on, you two, let's get you patched up." Both of the bears looked at each other before following Anders to the garage and he seated them down before tending to their wounds. "Look, you support Robotnik, I get it, but I am not an idiot to waste valid muscle on threats, you two were pulled into this, I can see it in your eyes." They were quiet before the one with black fur spoke, his hand dripping with the blood and with the patch work gauze on him.

"Our mother... she was getting far more ill than we were interested in, Fiz gave us the job to collect currency to pay for the bills, but soon, we were pulled in too far and he didn't want us gone, he made the threat solid in the end." The bear continued as Anders dealt with the leg of the albino. "Where did you learn such skills of command, I have never seen someone scare Fiz so badly that I could nearly sense him about to relieve himself."

"Well, I am three things before a mechanic..." Anders spoke as he wrapped the bandage around the other's leg. "First, a tactician..." Another wrap nearly dropped the bear as he was sweating hard. "Second, a soldier..." Another round and tears started to well up as it was clear that the wound touched or destroyed a few nerves for a while. "And third, a scientist..." The bear fainted on the bench as Anders stood up and checked the hand again, surveying it over before he released and started to work on a old truck that came in for a tune-up. "That wound may be big, but the healing factor will kick in soon enough. You just have to sit tight and let it heal."

"Wait, wha...?"

"Don't ask, the bandages and gauze I used, I personally tailored to very hard-hitting and lethal attacks, if there is enough of you from a shark attack, I can fix you up, don't believe? Then trust in the power of Chaos that my words are law to you right now and be at ease for my willing nature to heal." Anders answered as the bear couldn't get a single thought out in question before pondering the words in his mind again before asking.

"Did you have anyone like us that often needed this?" The wrench halted and the bear felt like he just stepped into a minefield, but the minefield was disabled as Anders slowly turned a little, a look of sorrow in his green eyes, as he answered.

"A friend... more like a brother of mine, he was still with the wrong sort of people after his mom passed and his dad just signed him up for it, he had a hard life for three years before I turned up with... a few others and brought him on as our main bruiser, but now, I don't know if he is still around, it... has been a while now." He shook his head as the wrench continued its path and he narrowed his eyes as he commented. "Odd... the engine is welded in... tight!" He grunted as he pulled again without yield. "This is not good, this tune up job only has three days on it and now, I hit a crack in the works..." He pulled again and huffed as he breathed. "It's okay... Aether, take a breath and try this again..." He counted to five before opening his eyes and pulling again, the wrench giving some, but not enough as the sound of a grinding was heard and he huffed. "How pleasant, the thing is stuck in good, now this task will never be finished on time..." He jumped down and started to fiddle through the sheets of parchment that agreed with the task, frowning at the name as he spoke. "Mayor Egg? He used a different name when employing my service, why does it say 'Egg' here?" He looked it over, making notes here and there before he paused, turning around with mechanical pencil in his mouth to see the bear holding the wrench in hand and twisting it, the engine slowly lowering with the work being done as the bear stated.

"You offered us some aid and I think I will take you up on that, besides being actually able to express my own strength is a worthwhile chance and aid you in this place of machines and devices." Anders paused before he nodded, removing the pencil and coming back over with a small flatbed and set it under as the Engine nearly dropped to the ground and both of them looked it over debating options and opinions on the new engine to be installed. Within no time at all with the parts and pieces they had on hand, they both assembled the new one and planted it in with better bolts and screws and the bear replied as Anders tampered with the inside. "Do you think that this will work, Sir?"

"The better question is when, not an if, it will turn on and it will go, just keep it secured so it doesn't bolt out of the garage." Anders said as he got in and turned the key, the puff of the truck calling out for a few seconds before the roar of the engine came alive and he smiled. "Like I said, Ceres, I know what I do..."


	2. Chapter 2

Anders paused from the work as he took to his small office and listened to her voice again, his breath slowing down and his senses relaxing as he nodded and pocketed the device once more before heading back out, looking over the possible work orders given and he chose one before heading over and looking over the piece or, more like the pieces, of a once-feasible jeep vessel and he lightly sighed as he walked over and sorted through the mess of scrap and parts before he picked up a clipboard he had set beside it before he wrote in it, a new paper for the project. 'The 'Maxinator' is nothing short of useless, repairs are likely to get it moving again, but reason for its destruction is out of the picture, so it is wise to look over before trying to fixing it up.' He hummed as he strolled about, taking in all of the frame and its ruined husk before adding more as he walked about and wrote, glancing often to keep from tripping and hitting anything. 'Not the cause of being crushed or a crash, this chassis is sporting battle marks, likely slammed into by a large metal machine like a battering ram, further destroyed with gunfire that ranged from standard and what could be energy-based. The symbol on the side, blackened by the same firepower, is a raised fist and the words of 'Freedom for Mobius', leaving the initial holder to be of a resistance against what exactly, doesn't matter too much right now.' He put it down and cracked his knuckles before starting to work, going for a lighter framework and better tires, changing it from a military vehicle to a casual jeep and he nodded to the changes here and there as Ceres came in and spoke with hands behind his back, military disciple from Anders as he wanted them to wise up to his plans in exchange of seventy percent of the machine shop's funds for their mother.

"Sir, do you require any assistance?"

"Not at the moment, Ceres, I am seeing a sizable amount of work going into this small jeep, come over if you will." The bear stepped over and looked as Anders stripped the metal and handed it to him, the symbol turned toward him as Anders continued. "Do you recognize that mark, my thoughts go to a resistance faction or something of a union."

"The Hands of Mobius." Ceres answered as he ferried it over to the small smelting cauldron that Anders had set up for the melt down of ruined metals. "They were a small faction against the reign of Ivo Robotnik, his name also that of 'Dr. Eggman' that made their strikes and attacks from the far north and dealt a sizable amount of damage before Robotnik cracked down on them with a sizable Egg Army, each one roboticized to serve him to this day." The metal found its place as it was moved in with the conveyer and Ceres returned while the metal melted down. "Still, a vehicle from them and someone inquiring a fix up is a bit much, Sir."

"Indeed, but they paid up and were very specific with the fix, to replace everything and give it a new appearance and tone, nothing out of the usual to replace an old model with something new." Anders paused as he locked down the framework with a new shell and set. "It doesn't strike me that they would lie about the job, maybe hiding the fact of the vehicle's origins, but it may have slipped their minds for a good measure, blowtorch." Ceres extended out one from nearby and Alexander worked, mask slipping over as he weld some of the parts together. "That to the side, questioning the client's interests is a wise decision, but over time, you start to spot difference to their speech patterns, if they are lying, their voice changes and you have to be wary for what could be on your hands, they divert their attention and yours when it is some vile or some foolish thing that they don't wish to talk about it, it helps to know who or what is happening at where you work or operate, it opens the range of trust up to those that you come to understand and depend on." Soon, the welds were done and he worked to hook it up for added suspicion before pulling, hoisting the chassis up to get the wheels and axis in. "As it stands, this is not worth notice unless it really has something going on and we need to investigate." Ceres nodded as Anders finished up and let the jeep slip back down. "Behold, the retrofitted and remade jeep for the mayor's casual convenience, this should sate a wanderlust deep within his bones, ring him up." The bear nodded as he headed for the main office and Anders went about adjusting some late fixes before he paused and turned. "And you are...?"

Standing at the entrance of the garage was a trio of weasels, dressed up with the same decals as the gang. "What we call ourselves is not needed, its what we're going to do to you that really matters."

"Oh... so this is a hostage issue...?" Anders snarled as he grabbed a hefty wrench, good for his plan if things turned violent and easy to swing, without looking. "I am many things, but hostage is not one, now then..." He stared at the trio as he spoke. "Are we going to play nice or do we have some skulls to crack?"

"You're going to need a LOT more than a weak wrench to kick us out!"

"Oh... I can do SOME damage with this..." The weasels rushed Anders, but he was quicker as the first swung and whiffed, only to get a wrench swing in the side and sent him gasping as the other two rushed it. The second guy nearly had Anders, but his lunge had him slam into a chassis of a van and Anders kicked the switch, dropping the thing on his arms before clocking the last in the head, knocking him out as he tossed the wrench up and caught it. "Like I said, SOME damage." He strode for the leader and turned him over before planting the wrench in his gut before he spoke, venom in his tone. "Now, let's talk, one is knocked out with a possible fracture in his skull, that will heal within a month from how light my hit was, the other guy had a van dropped on his arms and those will get fixed up with intense treatment over two months, and you are currently likely to suffer a collapsed lung in no time if you push me further, so tell me that you actually have a reason for trying to trash me up and my shop, else Mr. Friendly Blue will switch to his more hostile persona of Glee the Harm."

"You... you wouldn't get a thing out of us!" Anders rolled his eyes before shoving, the leader gasping before Anders left the wrench and walked over to the howling guy and slapped him to get his attention.

"Why are you here...?"

"We... We are the patrol, we get rid of any competition to the Boss and he pays us big, when he heard that one of our gangs was nailed, he... he just lost it and demanded that everyone mount up and get rid of you, he is already likely to have his bears back!"

"Good answer and better than your booze of a leader's." The leader made to get up, but his knees was pierced as Anders turned back, pistol in hand as he activated the machine and relieved the weasel's arms. "WHERE can I find your Boss...?"

"Southern warehouse, he has the whole place on lockdown when he hears of this!"

"When he does... he gets a round." Anders stepped out and whistled, the police arriving quickly and taking the weasels off his hands, but didn't press or ask for charges as one look told them that they would be crossing a determined fox and one that didn't see failure in his future, only absolute victory...

* * *

Anders paused before he made a log, a yard or five out as he took in the warehouse. "This is the audio log of Anders the Azure Fox, of an independent identity, standing ready in front of a warehouse, said to contain two of my most recent hands of work." Anders hummed as he rolled a toothpick in his mouth, intimidating a little, but his skills were more valued in the face. "Following the short attack on the workshop, both brothers were captured and taken here to suffer punishment for their turn of arms, I am here to relieve them of that burden and bring them back into the fold." He looked up to the smoke bellowing out with a crude spray job of the Empire's mark on the metal doors and one of the outer walls. "Now, let us see if the dregs of society is any match to a fighter and tactician, Anders the Azure Fox reporting out." He stopped the recording and pocketed it before he strode, clashing his pistols together that sent sparks out and he hummed as some of the members moved to stop him. "Well, if you don't play nice, you don't deserve mercy."

He picked up the pace and leapt, rounds flying everywhere as he shredded through the walls and weapons on hand, some of the members dropping from injures to hands, legs, even shoulders, but never vital points as murder was not the plan, it was a mission of liberation as he jumped once again and deliver a dual-booted blast into a rhino into a set of metal doors and stood on the hefty member's body as his landing pad as the warehouse stopped, all looking at the newcomer as a voice spoke up. "Well, I didn't think anyone was stupid enough to come here." Standing on the upper catwalks was a black gorilla, a left mechanical arm gripping the railing as he snarled. "Everyone in this miserable village knows us and knows not to get in our way, yet you decide to crash the party with your 'noble' deeds, you're a dead man and your hide will adorn my wall!"

"Not exactly how I envision facing a gang leader to some weird cult of Robotnik, but okay..." Anders rested one of his pistols on his shoulder as he pointed the other at the gorilla. "If you think I need to make a message to get noticed, then you are clearly ill-informed, I would have been content just working on cars and vehicles for payment or favor..." He breathed as he continued, feeling something start to boil over in his body from his wrist device. "...But, those bears are in my debt, they are no longer your problem to contend with, so we can just walk away okay and alive, or we can bathe this warehouse in blood, depends on whose in the end, now..." The feeling started to envelope him as he finished. "What says the defendant?"

"Here's what I say, KILL THE RUNT!" What could have happened was a dead fox with bullet holes through his body, but what happened as different as time seemed to slow down to a limp waddle as Anders unleashed a maelstrom of round, taking out gang members by the hundreds and leaving them behind as the gorilla gasped. "Wh-What the...!?"

"Sentence; guilty..." How he got behind was not a question as a round called out, its casing ringing out across the catwalks as the large brute dropped to the ground below, the blue fox standing there before time returned to its standard flow and Anders stashed his pistols before looking at his device, fiddling with it with widened eyes as he mused.

'My Chrono prototype... but how and that feeling of neutral emotions..." He gasped as he reached down, taking the Spectrum Jewel as it glowed brightly before dying out, the idea entering his mind that the Jewel may have empowered his device to slow time around him down and let him ravage through the ranks, but that thought shouldn't have... made him so heartless to kill as the sound of sirens rang out and he stashed the Jewel as he headed for the back rooms, finding his bear brothers and getting them out as the police surrounded the place and arrested those that were injured and sealing up the dead...

* * *

Anders resumed his work, but he took a break to think through things and look over the things that he could, like his Chrono Accelerator, a lame name as who wouldn't want some 'time-based', but the purpose behind it was to stop time or at least slow time down long enough to avoid gunfire and escape events that were on a timer, the intentional time frame being ten seconds, he made fifteen at speeds far surpassing his frame with a device that never worked beforehand to a apple toss, clearly the Jewel had great power, untapped, but not needed for the moment. He looked through the pages of his magazine to find the more suitable amounts of metal or wood in the area or from a distant place that could provide the shop its bare needs. Ceres said that there were a few places that could provide the materials and several dealers that could give them those, but it would cost them Rings and they were short on those for a yearly contract while his brother of Max just slept on through the pain.

It was better to focus on the shop than the impossible facts of the Jewel and its interaction with him as he hummed, putting the magazine down and picking up another few sheets of parchment as he looked them over, what they were turned out to be job applications for the place, the interviews have to be after the cooldown period when the police regain order and start to calm down with the manhunt easing up as well, he just lucky to have modified his kit into a pair of gloves and arm braces so he didn't get ousted right off the bat. Still, it was worth getting some aid in the place so that he doesn't get the shop dragged under and into the red with more eyes and hands on the task on hand.

He paused as he felt something... something familiar as he looked out the window with confusion as Ceres asked. "Sir... are you alright...?"

"I felt something... a presence I haven't felt in a while..." Anders frowned as he peered about before turning to the aid and walking past. "You are relieved of your duty here for the time being, meet me two days after to resume, we have some work to get done."

"Sir!" Anders headed out first, letting the brothers get out first before he locked up and tossed his board, the device extending out as he jumped on and rode it toward the feeling that caught his attention, furrowing his brow in questioning if it was indeed his brother-in-arms or something else...

* * *

Sonic checked out the places that Tails had marked out, nothing too important out of place, but he knew better than to doubt or even question Tails' interests in the locations as he sped off once more and paused in a tree before he called Tails through a comm the 'brother' gave him. "Hey, little buddy! I've been to your spots, but nothing really is standing out..."

"Darn... I thought that it could have been an external server or something that gave Eggman his power or range across the world, but I guess that was a vain hope."

"Hey, don't be like that buddy, we'll figure this out, trust me..." Sonic answered as he looked once more to nothing still not popping out to him. "Still, I want to give it to the Ro-buttnik as soon as possible, nothing can really get me going than a..." He sharply paused as the feeling returned, he going silent to the feeling as it felt like the power of the Chaos Emerald with a tint of... the Sol?

"Than a...? Sonic, what were you just saying?" The blue hedge shook his head as he replied back.

"Oh, nothing, I was going off in a mood, sorry about that..." Sonic looked to the line in the sky, trying to pinpoint the sudden eruption of power. "Hey, Tails, I am just going to check something out, it is just some minor thing, but I just feel like running some more."

"I understand, get going and, if Amy starts calling me, I'll tell her that you are out right now."

"You know me well..." The line cut as he jumped down and dashed for the power, interested in finding out what would just pinging his radar like that...

* * *

Anders would rather not hope too much, that what he was suddenly thinking about as he neared the power and it grew more intense was just a fragment of his mind, but he yielded to the wishes as he felt his board being pushed to its limits and he jumping off while grabbing it, holding it in hand as he glanced up, the sky blue as always before a section turned violet and he watched it become a swirling vortex in the air and shoot something out before closing and turning back to normal, his eyes narrowing to see what was just shot before he tossed the board and soared upwards as the thing was a living being, but he couldn't tell who or what it was, but he could find out details later as he lashed out a hand and gripped the gloved hand that he caught, grunting as he struggled to pull him onto the board before breathing as he sat on the board with the fear of death gone as he looked over his new guest.

Adorning white gloves with two spikes protruding outward and possessing a muscled build, it was hard to tell species as the quills were like dreadlocks or something, the fur that of the morning sun in a golden glory, he not wishing to turn him over yet to fully check as he told the moment time to breath before he lightly pulled and rolled, finding something that made him recall a memory, a dire one, but it lead to the identity of his new friend.

 _'GET ME A MEDICAL KIT NOW, WE NEED TO STEM THE BLEEDING!'_  
 _'Alex!; It's useless, he will not make it through...'_  
 _'I DON'T CARE! HE WILL LIVE AND I WILL WRING THE NECK OF WHOEVER DID THIS TO MY ALLY!'_  
 _'ALEX!; STOP, IT IS NOT WORTH...!'_  
 _"TO ME, IT IS, HE IS WORTH THE EFFORT!'_

He blinked out the memory as he took in the massive scar down the thing's back, cutting deep from the left shoulder to right hip and breathed, blissfully unaware of tears leaking form his eyes as he pulled him into his embrace. "Oh, Jackson... You're back with me... I will not leave you alone in this world, my brother..." Unconsciously, the yellow thing extended its arms to try returning the gesture as Anders just hugged him. "You crazy guy... you are always going to be my first barrier..." He breathed again before he released, the board allowing the securing of the new being as Anders turned back to the town and went, but not before making another recording. "This is the audio log of Anders the Azure Fox, of an independent identity, riding my hoverboard with the addition of a another person, one that may indeed be my brother-in-arms known as Jackson, after saving him from the efforts of a strange vortex event that surged from the sky near one of the more-dense forest sections of the world." He breathed as he continued, the board slowing as he made it. "Only after my own questions and answers will I ask him to join me in finding out the mysteries of this new world that we have found ourselves called Mobius and help me out find the others of our entourage, his arrival proves that they could have passed through the strange vortex or bubble that was formed or made by the outburst from the Jewel. Other than that... I am calling it a rest from our daily life of madness, we will adjust to this new land and live with it, only to fight when I feel the want to fight again." He smiled as he finished up. "With this, though, I have started to feel complete once again, Anders the Azure Fox reporting out." The recording came to a stop and he focused on getting the board going faster as he left the forest below behind for a blue hedgehog to zoom in and get confused at the loss of a presence that drew his attention before he headed back to his friend's home...


	3. Chapter 3

Anders waited for that was his plan now, to wait for his friend to stir properly and talk to him before pulling him into dealing with the machines of the car shop. He also used the time to try and piece out what happened exactly, but the theories flew like embers and died out just the same, one idea being that some trans-dimensional worm consumed the base and went on to ravage the world, but that idea flew out quicker than any other as that was in the morbid sense of sci-fi and the thought of the base being enveloped in a large sphere or orb of influence sounded much better than before as he paused to the rousing of his ally.

The yellow thing sat up and rubbed his head as Anders spoke. "Are you feeling okay?" The yellow thing looked at the blue fox with violet eyes, both staring at the other before the yellow thing spoke up.

"I must have drank too much back at base 'cause I swear that..."

"I assure you, you are not drunk... too badly anyway." Anders continued as he leaned back and waited out the ballistic outburst of panic that sent the yellow ally, he climbing things and shouting, all the while the blue fox waited him out to tire before he fell on the bedding to the nearly-pristine state of the room, he thought that he would have been more destructive in his panic. "Now that you are tired out, can you tell me what you last remember?"

"Why should I tell you!?"

"Okay, I'll start it off." Anders hummed before continued. "The last thing I remember was a large burst of light when the Spectrum Jewel erupted after I started to run some tests and ended up turning on something or activating it, the next thing I remember is falling from the sky." Anders answered before he gestured to the yellow, tired figure. "Your turn... Jackson."

He didn't have reason to believe it, only that the blue fox knew his name, but no one else knew about the Spectrum Jewel other than the members connected to him. "I remember sleeping after a night of busting skulls and training, before some flash filled my eyes closed and I couldn't wake up, just that..." Jackson answered before he turned over, more calmer than how it started out. "If you're Alexander, then what about...?"

"Eliza, Kistan, and Cid are not here, you're the second through that weird wormhole that threw us into this world of Mobius." Anders answers as he leaned forward. "Secondly, I am not Alexander here, I needed to use a different name to keep from revealing who or what we were prior to this. I am Anders here, not Alexander." He tapped on the yellow figure's forehead. "Rest up, I am certain you need it now than ever." He nodded and dozed back into slumber as Anders headed back out and sorted through stockpile of papers he got, some rather problematic issues like possible involvement with a gang with how well he handled the trio of weasels in his garage and eyewitnesses told the local law that he was also sighted at the warehouse.

Basically, he was going to be on thin ice if they really went through his gear and stuff for any trace of his rather cold and precise attack on both the patrol and the massive organization in the warehouse. However, that was put him far from their minds as the warehouse was actually a front for the Egg Army, collecting food stocks, metal materials, and young and naïve conscripts for a 'Egg Drive', even if they couldn't stop the Army, they could at least halt one source of Eggman's forces, it may even be mediocre considering the way that people talked about Eggman's impeding takeover of the whole world as he leaned back and huffed. "What am I going to do...?" He had found his greatest bruiser and left him to rest in the shop while he still had one day to sort through the possible objectives and get work done on his own, but he didn't feel the need as most of the work was settled in for the next time they could get to it, so he lightly hummed in displeasure and looked about the workshop before he paused. Laying in the corner were a wide array of cans, Anders recalling that Ceres actually found them in the backroom and overfilling it, it looks like the pervious owner was stocking cans there for some art project of just for kicks, he standing up and walking over to see they were spray cans and lifting one up as he looked it over, a crazy idea getting into his head, but one that he had done in the past as he mused. "Yeah, this could work..." He trekked back to the bedroom and kicked, the figure jumping as Anders spoke. "I know I said to rest, but I just got a crazy idea."

"Wha…? What is the plan?" Anders held up a can and Jackson took it and rolled it in hand. "So..." He smiled as he waved the can a bit. "Where to first?"

"A local trainyard, local gangs have been avoiding it for some zealous members of a empire, I say we make some improvements."

"The two of us, one train?"

"One train." He smiled again and agreed.

"Well, I always wanted to try my hand at rebellion, and I like that last image you thought about for that, let's do this!" Anders smiled as well as they geared up and headed out to leave a mark on the town, one point at a time...

* * *

No one expected it to happen, not when so much was going on, but when a trainyard is defaced with a odd symbol with an 'emerald' in the middle of it, people are bound to talk and talk they do. The design was a background of blue, rims and curves added to it to give the impression of a flag or the like, the centerpiece is a gray jewel that looks like the Chaos Emeralds, whatever those were, and the following words in Ander's moderate amount of German, it always seemed to have a powerful impact when it is said in English or German, 'We are Freedom', and they marked it with a falcon eye to show it was someone else's work under the watchful eye, though hardly anyone was going to pay too much attention to that if it was washed off or otherwise. The pair returned before the sun even started to rise again, getting in a decent amount of sleep which is hard at times on the other place, but they just relaxed before Anders stirred, blinking a few times before rubbing it away, turning to look at Jackson or 'Sol' just for the heck of a good name and the fact that he enjoyed the pure nature of the sun now. "Hey, get up, we have a day to plan."

"Hmm... right... right..." The figure or rather the echidna, after Anders spent a bit of time trying to figure out what Sol was now, shifted a bit in the bedding he settled in as Anders moved about and started his work on the number of vehicles again and the paperwork that built up, though he was a scientist and loved the work, he was disappointed with how the system worked in the town. Basically... it's elitist, if you have a high standing with the government or are a successful business, then the law is on your side, but if you are not popular or even a good business going down, then one can expect daily raids on baseless rumors and reasons, this explained why the town had so many gangs and turf wars going on, just to control parts of the town not held in iron grips in a town filled with paranoia of who was coming and going, even heedless of who goes missing as long as it was not someone of great value.

The Azure Fox shook his head as he sorted through and read up the details of a number of things and comparing rates so he kept a level head on the details and KEEP cheapskates out of his face... if they have the mind to argue or the lack of actual brain cells. He fitted a few motorbikes, a van, and a series of cars before he switched to get orders together to obtain more parts in so the repair jobs continued. As part of the task, he got the phone numbers down to pat and called up for the parts, most unwilling to give the goods over, but they quickly bent to the fact that, if they were not willing to give the parts, then it would come down to other dealers and Anders didn't mind asking BETTER and MORE CAPABLE dealers to give them over, that roughed them over enough that they agreed and he thanked them for their time before getting back into the garage, pausing before he checked his custom holsters for the guns, easy access with a flip action on his arms and did so, glancing down some scrap metal that he set up for target practice before he readied himself and fired, the first setting were a machine-gun spray, but the damages were only skin deep, but it was enough to shred the sheet before he turned to the next, the guns glowing before he fired, the knock back powerful enough that he was worried that he would lose an arm if he was not careful, but it happened to help him understand that, with the modifications, he could switch fire modes on the fly before it hit the final mode and he fired, the revolver action too strong as it punched through the final sheet, much like what he did in the warehouse.

He lowered the pair of weapons before flicking, they returning to the gauntlets, as he shook his head. "What can I do with these new tools...?" He shook his head once more as he headed back to the office, a good hour before Ceres and his brother of Mars returned to work. He pulled out the recorder and breathed. "This is the audio log of Anders the Azure Fox, of an independent identity, recording my thoughts on the current state of things." He smiled as he leaned back. "As it turned out, there is a sense of freedom and rebellion in my veins when I asked my new ally Sol, the golden echidna, to help do a bit of graffiti work on a local trainyard, doing a single train for the sake of it late night and it has seemed to have kicked up quite the storm for those loons on a Egg Side." He peered at a news article that depicted the act and demanding who was behind it. "Though the idea of forming a gang to make that mark more apparent, Sol and I settled with taking a picture with a camera that we managed to collect for future reference and will take the time to marvel at the handiwork of our interest that night, until the next recording, Anders the Azure Fox reporting out." He stopped the recording and pocketed it with a lean back as the peaceful day didn't seem too troubling for now... but his ears perked up to the sound of a squad car coming by and he sat up as it came to a stop before the shop.

He huffed silently as he should have guessed that anyone suspect would be on their hit list to find out the warehouse attacker and the train defacer and, since his is a new face, the blame would come down to him. He sat up right as the door were pushed open and he gazed down two officers as they stepped in, their posture arrogant and prideful, that it would be the end of worlds before they were destroyed, a notion that Anders felt willing to do against them. One wandered about and looking over the things apparent, clearly looking for something to smash as a distraction while the other took the chair and spun it around before sitting in it. "Yes, how can I help you two today?"

"You can start by telling us what your connection to the gangs are."

"I'm afraid you came to the wrong person for that." Anders shook his head as the lead frowned and the other seemed to draft about before turning to the desk and back to the shelves. "If you want a gang informant, then you should look your cells or the local back alleys for your guy, I am but a simple mechanic, just repairing cars, jeeps, and bikes here, not some gang hideout."

"Wrong answer." The lead spoke as he lashed out, but Anders was quicker as he lashed a hand up and stopped the lead who was a peacock while his partner, a dog, primed to shot as Anders spoke.

"Sorry, but if you want to search my home, you will need an actual warrant for that, and I don't see one, so you cannot manhandle someone who is abiding to the law, can you?" Ander's raised a brow as the peacock was straining to grab his throat while the dog, a Doberman, got closer to put the fox down if he got unruly. "If you want to cause trouble, then you are in the wrong place for it, get out right now and I will not need to report insubordination to your superiors, Officers."

"Insubordination!?" The peacock shouted as he removed his hand and lashed out his gun. "There have been eyewitnesses of a pair of gang members dwelling here and working, this makes you a criminal!"

"But have they been trying to cause chaos, I don't..."

"Shut up!" The gun pressed into Ander's skull as the peacock shouted. "You are just as guilty of the gangs on the street, we have to deal with your scum every day because-"

"I don't recall your reasons, I just told you to get out and if you are unwilling, then I will consider this harassment and police brutality." Anders didn't want to admit it, but he was kidnapped a number of times and he developed a thick skin to the threats of everyone, he didn't feint nor scream, he was calm about it as he continued. "Leave now, unless you have a warrant."

"W-We have a warrant..." The dog grumbled as he searched before pulling it out and showing it off. "...Right here, see, now you have to-"

"Who's 'Mayor Tien', the current mayor is Mayor Roak." Anders's eyes drift back to the peacock who was red in the face as the dober stammered at the catch of a false name or a older name. "Leave... I won't repeat myself if you don't know what words are in sense."

"Why you...!" The round left, but its intent target was not there as he ducked left before swiping, slipping the gun out of his hand and slamming the peacock into the ground in a tackle, the Doberman was slow to react as by the time he got the gun into focus, there was a fist knocking him out from the side as a voice spoke.

"Boss, are you OK!?"

"Peachy, Ceres." Anders spoke as he flipped and hurled the peacock up, now handcuffed, into Ceres's hold while Max cuffed the unconscious officer and lifted him up as the fox spoke. "What we have here are a pair of idiots trying to arrest on false terms."

"Do you want us to deal with them?" The fox shook his head as the peacock ranted a number of profane things at the collection there.

"No, I want someone to call up the nearest dispatch, report these two to them, and arrange for them to face actual justice instead of the mockery that they just tried." The bears nodded as the echidna charged out and took in the sight before he stepped to his friends side before asking.

"Still think that we shouldn't take matters into our own hands?"

"This is a isolated situation, not a actual turf war, brother-in-arms." The azure fox answered as he crossed as he knew the conversation that they had, it was fresh as Jackson asked for them to form a gang of their own, to stifle out the more rebel of the forces and get the town to calm down some, but he refused as the only way that they would be if a full attack came and they were forced to take control, a pair of rogue officers was not an attack. "I'll talk to the head of these officers, I just need you to take our stuff about and place it where we need it, no fixes yet." The yellow echidna huffed as he commented.

"You steal all the fun out of this."

"Play nice, Sol, we'll see how things go soon." Anders spoke as he headed out and waited with the brothers, soon the other officers arrived and willingly took the brothers and him to the station to get the facts straight...


	4. Chapter 4

"This is not a funny affair, this is a transgression of civil rights and no civilians are meant to just take the law into their own hands!" The rhino in charge ranted as the brothers looked squirmy from the harsh treatment they were getting as the peacock just seemed to smirk at their misfortune, but Anders was stone cold. "These two are the finest officers I have and I will not be cowed into believing that they went off the handle, just to the rising of crime, what do you have to say for yourselves!?" The bears looked nervous as the rhino shouted. "WELL!?" He glared at the fox as Anders took a breath and spoke.

"Can we get serious here?" This took the officers by surprise as the cold response as the fox remained sitting, even the chief. "If you are so bull-headed, then you have no issues giving arrests left and right to innocent bystanders, but you are a man of reason, so I expect you to actually listen to what I have to say as your officers are not in the right."

"And what do you know!?"

"I know that they came in, barging in before the work hour for my employees, and putting up an act to search the premises for gang activity in my shop which I have ensured is VERY empty of such things." Anders stood up as he continued. "And while Officer Feathers was trying to grill me and lost his temper, his canine buddy was searching my office for things to break and open, behavior no sane officer of the law should have."

"That's a lie, he is-"

"If you think that I am lying, then can any tell me why Feathers's gun discharged in my direction, everyone heard it, the neighbors can attest to the discharge of a gun." He remained emotionless to the stares and accusing motives. "I have no reason to steal or fire the weapon and any injures are ones dealt in physical matters, it is not a crime in self-defense, so this whole case is a sham if you want to push it." Anders clicked and the brothers stood up as well as he lead the way. "My members and I will be off now." They turned and headed out as the rhino shouted.

"You are not leaving anytime...!"

"Who is Mayor Tien?" Anders inquired and that stopped the shout before he continued as the brothers paused as well for their boss. "The current mayor of this town is a Mayor Roak, so why did your 'finest' officers bring a warrant signed by a 'Mayor Tien' to use on my shop...?" With that, the rhino was seeing red and the two started to get squirmy as he hissed.

"Get out of my station, fox, I will hear no more of this issue any further, is that clear...!?"

"Crystal clear, Chief..." With that, they left as Ceres spoke.

"What a powerful bluff, Sir, I had never..."

"It was no bluff, Ceres." Anders spoke as they headed out and back to the shop in a borrowed truck. "It is only a bluff to the feeble of minds, the fools among the crowds, and the morons without vision, who is Mayor Tien, you two?"

"Well..." Max spoke as Ceres drove. "Tien was the previous mayor of this town of Knotmorre, a silent type of goat, but when it was discovered that he was supporting Doctor Robotnik which ensured his position, the people all wanted him gone and Roak took the mantle on his shoulders, the recent gangs just a Egg Army move to get more forces to overwhelm the world." Mars hummed as he scratched his cheek. "It was stuck with Roak barely getting enough room to put the gangs down long enough to get the world to see and feel us again... until you rolled in, you laid waste to a massive stockpile and cracked the Egg Army here." Anders hummed as Mars continued. "So when do we move?"

"Max!" Ceres yelped as he exclaimed, bringing the truck to a halt at a stop point on an empty street. "We are not fighting an empire with bare fists and cheap tricks, we are not even a suitable militia for the Empire or G.U.N. for that matter, we would only get ourselves killed." The older brother hissed as the younger hissed back.

"But we finally cracked through these crazy antics of the Egg Army, we need to strike back somehow, we can't just sit on our butts for nothing and waiting for them to steamroll us again!" Max growled as he sat back down. "You know as well as I do that we NEED to do something to change this, we have been cowering under the illusion that our government here will keep us safe, the corrupt officers or gangs members ring a bell to you, brother!?"

"That's enough!" Ceres howled and Anders remained quiet, but did feel the need to put his own input to get it done. "I will not burden our mother with the fact that my younger brother thinks that we need to fight and die for a causeless fight, we are doing well in getting jobs in the machine shop, so get rid of those thoughts of rebellion, we are not warriors, we're not even soldiers!"

"Come on!" Max groaned as he leaned against the window on his side. "You have heard the feats of the Freedom Fighters, how G.U.N. keeps us safe from Eggman, and how everyone is against the 'turn-everything-robotic' plan of that crazy doc!"

"Give it up, Max... those days are gone..." Ceres huffed as the truck moved again and the ride back to the shop was quiet before Ceres spoke. "Sorry, Sir, you didn't need to hear this, it is just we have differing opinions."

"Better than nothing..." Anders answers and the brothers looked at each other as Anders continued. "If you both have a reason, then I understand, but I am interested with the tides of news." He leaned forward and continued. "How far is Knotmorre from the battle line?" They looked unsettled before Ceres spoke in return.

"We are not involved with the more pressing warfare as the Empire has turned its attention to the far west, but they still have eyes in one of their Egg Army outpost, but that is a decent kilo mile from this town." Anders nodded as the bear spoke. "There was a abandoned G.U.N. base in the area, but no one was willing to go searching for it without pulling the attention form the Badnik patrols."

"And what would happen if we were to, say, take that stockpile?" Anders asked as he leaned forward, rubbing two fingers together in thought. "Taking stock of the town, it's forces are divided with corrupt notions of duty and loyalty to a scientist, I think that we need to establish something of our own. A mark on this planet that screams 'enough'."

"While that sounds feasible, Sir..." Ceres spoke as he continued. "...We don't have the manpower nor the resources to find this base and we don't have enough to get it down, Sir, we can involve others, but that would take time to manifest trust in you for that course of action."

"That is why I, despite the fool notion, had taken the time to ponder this and decide that the machine shop will be closed until we return, AFTER we deal with all standing tasks on hand, in the meantime, I will be assembling tools and weapons for us to use if we have to defend ourselves from any more bothersome issues." Anders glanced at the brothers as he spoke. "I will give us six hours to get the tasks done, cleaned up, and primed for our search, I expect you both understand the great risk I am taking for this...?" Both nodded as Anders finished. "Dismissed." They headed out and roamed the shop, getting the jobs done while Anders turned to his small workshop and got back up, starting to make the tools that they would use to find this base and claim it, if it was abandoned, then it was as some people like to say 'fingers keepers' and he sure enjoyed a severe debate on those matters. And after a sizable amount of time observing his members, he knew what type of weapons they have need of...

* * *

The forests that surrounded Knotmorre blanketed the landscape easily and there was no doubt that looking for a base, abandoned, in the wide expanse of wood and tree was like the needle in the haystack, but Anders was not turned away as he had made a personal hand in the creation of a jeep-slash-truck that could help them out, its speeds could get them away from average troubles while the flatbed could easily stash a car chassis on it as he dialed in some details and continued through, the trio of members hanging on to the railings to keep from flying off as Ceres shouted with a few taps on the hatch of the jeep. "Are you sure that we can find it, no one has found it so far!"

"We have to at least try." Anders replied as he kicked it up a notch with a clearing. "Either the others gave up too early, or they were just lazy and said that they didn't find anything, in any case, we need to find this base just to be sure." The direction they took was up to the north, toward the more mountain region where many believe that it is haunted by spirits of the dead or that robots of the Empire loom about to pluck helpless explorers away to be the next in the Egg Empire. "I am not saying that we should just immediately take control if it exists, only to assess it and see if we can use it in any way, as both a point away from the fear of the townsfolk and an actual base of operations." He slowed it down and the vehicle rolled with it as they peered about before Max shouted.

"Stop the ride!" Anders hit the brakes and he leaned out to speak.

"What's up?" Max didn't say anything, but pointed, the three looking to see something unusual, a decayed flag, half-hoisted up a post, and the corroding walls that faced time. "Well, that's a mark, old, but certain." He looked at the three and they nodded as Anders continued. "Let's move." The jeep kicked back into drive, Anders musing that it was not the best quality, but it served them well for now as the vehicle turned and headed toward the site, the walls falling apart here and there, but nothing that work can't repair, the gate in was a different story as it had crumbled to pieces with an old mason tile, not fully just steel and barb as the ride stopped once more and Anders huffed. "Of course, the way is blocked, we need to scale in if we are going to find anything in there."

"But how?" Max spoke as he pointed it out. "Though it is in ruin, those fences still look painful and we didn't bring wire cutters."

"No, but we do have a pair of fists." Anders turned to Sol as he spoke. "Sol, the honor is yours."

"No problem!" Sol jumped off and walked over before he pulled a fist back, it crackling with energy before he punched, blasting the rubble out of the way as he walked in with the jeep rolling in. "See, this is why I enjoy your little tools, Anders."

"No doubt about that..." The azure fox answered as he parked the construction and jumped out with the brothers joining Sol as they looked over the campus. Whatever made it a base was a loose terming of it as tents and makeshift barriers littered the place as shelter or locations for discarded materials, but the defining part of the base was the large garage-like warehouse that sat in the center of the base where the post holding the flag rested as Anders walked forward a bit and spoke. "Well, I suppose that if nothing else, this IS a G.U.N. base..." He rubbed his jaw as he turned back to the trio. "My question is why has no one really discovered it, you would think that G.U.N., the Empire, heck, even some gang would have found this place first and used it in some way."

"I don't know, Sir..." Ceres answered as he waved a hand, it seemingly crackled with the same energy that Sol used and seemed to spark from Ander's weapons inside the wrist holsters. "It is possible that rumors and tales have played fables and tales of what happened to them or rather they make up their own things to keep people inside their huts and homes and away from the real world..." Ceres hummed before he continued. "...Which is strange, now that I think of it, Knotmorre has always been isolated, but after the rise of the subsequent conquers of several places across the world, it has either been devoted to Robotnik or been fret with gang warfare, it's just been strange like that." The fox nodded as Sol added to it.

"I can get the whole crazy stuff, but shouldn't we go looking about for anything or something in their base?"

"Point, Sol." Anders turned back to the mess and spoke. "Let's get down to business, boys." With that, they scattered about the place and surveyed through the tents and around the barriers, but nothing short of empty cloth shelters and used ammo could be found, they did find a few bipods and tripods for firearms, but that was all they could find that pointed out a military operation. Soon, it fell on the warehouse as the four gathered to the front and Anders hummed before he walked over to a terminal that must have connected to the building and opened it up and huffed playfully at the algorithms that faced him. "Child's play, whoever used these coding files were novices, I can do one better." But he focused a bit more as he didn't want to say that and alarm whatever or whoever still in control of the base... remotely. He typed his personal hacking program and opened the way with a nod before he pulled up a map as he spoke. "So this base was meant to face Robotnik on this front, but the base suffered a cut of supplies from a unknown route and they had to abandon it right quick as a small force of Egg Army was rolling in."

"Does it tell us what route was cut off and why no other was used?" Ceres questioned as they ganged around the panel as Anders went through the available data maps of the surrounding before he worked his magic of piecing it out and assembling the pieces on a display on the terminal before he spoke.

"Here's what we got." He tapped and the display spattered before it showed a digital copy of a good hundred miles in all directions and they looked over it as Anders spoke. "Due to this base's odd position, the only trail that could be used as a supply line would have to come from near the Knotmorre Mountains, a unused trail from months of both disuse and rumors, G.U.N. had a mild time getting this small warehouse up, but suddenly the trail was attacked by a unknown force, robotic by nature, and they were forced out by default tactics, they couldn't hold this so they abandoned it, ill planned, but considering the possible attacks to come from both the supply line and the lack of forces in the base, I suspect that we have some clean-up to do."

"Got it, Boss!" Mars agreed as Ceres and him straightened up with Sol as he spoke. "What are we gonna do?"

"Ceres, I need you and your brother to scout out the line, there is a way station that should serve as a reasonable place of patrol if you need it, Sol and I will be checking the warehouse further and both parties will meet back up within..." Anders checked the time which read eleven twenty-five. "...four hours from now, divide up." All nodded as the bear brothers headed out and Sol lingered before he asked.

"Are you sure that we can trust them?"

"We need to, Sol, we need allies in the world and they have experience as enforcers, Ceres is the wiser of the pair while Mars is the more durable in a fight. They serve a two-fold purpose, to be the first members outside our group to command through experience or example and to provide more detail about the world we have found around us." Sol hummed for a long moment before he nodded as Anders worked to splice the door, getting it open before they dove into the dark of the warehouse, it cleared out for the most part, but they didn't go too far in before they found something off, the flooring was not quite a match in a few patched, large enough to perhaps provide a large APC or tank, maybe even a walker, give or take as they searched a bit more before they found a way down, a maintenance tunnel downwards and being shined through with build-in lights they had before Anders whistled with the first thing they found. "Well, scratch one empty base, we just hit a jackpot..."

"You are not kidding... we can work with this..."

"And if there is more or similar before us..." The azure fox smiled as he spoke. "Then we are in a real payload..."

* * *

The brother bears were along the trail as they searched for any signs or trace of note that they could use to puzzle out what exactly went down around the area, the walk more silent and careful than taking the vehicle out and getting ambushed out of nowhere. Ceres hummed as he continued to peer about and look for their target or something that could be a problem before Max spoke. "I don't want to say it out of context, but our boss..." The younger brother hummed as he spoke a bit more about it. "Is he really the guy to be following, I just want to know."

"...Indeed, he does often feel aloft at times." Ceres mused as they continued on, reaching the uphill travel that served as the midway point. "It is hard to not take him seriously at times except when he does something solid and firm, his confidence often just goes or stays." Ceres was not sure about that, Anders displayed a level of ease and care, like he faced the same things on the daily, but at times it was forced, like he was trying to fill in a gap left in his soul or past as they reached the crest and spotted the way station as Max cheered.

"There is the place, now let's...!" Before Max could, Ceres stopped him short with a snatch of the overall straps as he grumbled. "What is your problem, we found the place, let's just get going!" Ceres didn't answer as his eyes searched before Max repeated, turning to look him his older sibling. "Brother?"

"...What is out of place...?" Ceres spoke as he looked further, he looked everywhere on the ridge for an answer of the gut feeling in his veins, but he didn't have the answer right then. "What is it...?" He peered once more and his sight stopped at the rock wall, or rather, the illusion of the wall as from the way station, it was a simple wall, but from their angle...

...It was a gaping hole in the stone, too smooth to be natural and refined to allow something to pass through, something large enough to stomp on through if it need be. "Max... I believe we have found our 'supply ambush'." Ceres hummed before he adjusted his gloves for what could be within, Max following into the shadows within...


	5. Chapter 5

What the brothers were expecting could be a number of things, but Ceres kept his head tight on as he peered through the dark of the cavern with a torch pointed forward, its light glaring through as Max lingered close behind.

It was a shocking fact that the trail or path was littered with parts, ranging from both G.U.N. convoys and Robotnik robotics, so it was clear that they had found the missing supply, but the better question was who or what was behind these events, a notion that Max spoke up about. "Hey, Bro, do you really think that... whatever was behind those parts could be here?"

"It is a strong possibility, Anders sent us here to uncover what could have been the cause and we have found parts here." Ceres answered as the torchlight swept through once more to find nothing that could answer a feral or tribal notion of existence in the cave to mean that such creatures or individuals had settled in. "I am more concerned of what could still be lingering here and is not in visible vision, did something of dangerous meaning or the Empire's underlings reside here for a time?"

That was the best question as they continued, finally stopping before a small facility that was burrowed in the dark and dimmed as the pair continued on to where the power could be before Max crouched before the single source while Ceres looked at the small number of conveyor belts and machine parts. "Machine Parts... Equipment for manufacturing... a whole factory in the mountainside... what exactly was the Doc thinking...?"

"I think... I know why..." Ceres paused before he looked down and his eyes widened in disbelief. "The war was closer than we were wishing it to be..." He turned to Max and spoke. "Bring this whole thing down, bring it all down please..." Max wanted to argue, but he stopped, taking in the haunted look before he pulled free the totem pole and nodded.

"I got this!" He leapt high and the pole slammed into the ground before the whole place started to rumble before stones and rocks fell from above and the pair booked it out as the resulting quake brought down the mountain, a rock slide now their obstacle to the way-station, but Ceres didn't care, he wanted to be away from the place as soon as possible and Max didn't fault him...

* * *

Anders and Sol sorted through the rabble that filled the tunnels below the base, Anders noting what they could use for the advancement of the base with the addition of helpful hands when they open it up and not from Knotmorre, that was a no-recruit site for now. That demanded an expedition of the lands beyond or some sort of sensor range to find more towns and villages, but that can be discussed a bit later. They had cleared out the rubble when the pair of bears returned and Anders frowned to Ceres's solemn look before they joined at the flag and the Azure Fox asked. "So, did you find anything that could have led to the ambushes?"

"We did." Max answered, the pair turning to him as Ceres remained silent. "It looked like there was a factory inside one of the caverns of Knotmorre Mountain, all of it coming from Doctor Robotnik's own pockets." Anders nodded as Max continued. "We caused a cave-in to destroy the place and we left it behind, but Ceres... I've never seen him this spooked before, whatever that thing was meant to be, inactive or not, he's really scared about it."

"It's okay, we dealt with it and we can use the way-point now, right?" Both relaxed before saluting and Anders nodded. "Good, now the good and bad news from us..." Anders leaned against a standing piece of wall with Sol sifting through more of the stuff and moved it down to the bunker. "The good news is that G.U.N. were forgetful of a full armory, even got a few mech chassis in store as well. We can use those arms to get the movement going." He frowned as he spoke the bad news. "The bad news is that I can't quite understand how the machines are driven, Sol and me have also been trying to clear out some of this rubble before focusing on the adjustments for the equipment, but it's been a slow process." He raised a closed hand before raising two fingers. "So this is two-fold, we need to locate the method of how the G.U.N. equipment operates in the mechanized armors and find ample members to recruit for the rising cause, four members isn't going to cut it here, we need a full regiment or garrison."

"Got it." Max nodded as Ceres took over in questioning.

"So, what would you like us to do?" Anders hummed before he spoke again.

"Max, I need you to help clear out the encampment and help Sol to set up some wooden structures, he knows how to make simple huts and lodgings, so follow his direction and try to make as many to fill in the garrison, but don't be single-minded, make different styles for who we could get on our side and into the force." Max nodded as he took off and Anders turned to Ceres. "Ceres, you and me are going to search for another town, we move out within the hour, so take some time to rest and meet me before fifteen." The bear nodded as Anders headed to the jeep, driving it into the base and parking it for some more maintenance. That same maintenance was rather difficult on account of not being a full garage, but he managed as usual as he fine-tuned the treads for the more difficult settings in landscape, only getting a solid bearing for plain riding, forest trekking, and urban travel, but the only options that he thought up had to be for the more abnormal settings and on different mounts of rides that he could get his hands on... and figured out their power source before Ceres returned, looking a bit more fresh than before, the pair nodded as Anders spoke. "Let's ride." The Jeep headed off and the bearings were guided to another town that was likely in the think or mist of it, an edge in Ceres' eye told the fox that he was expecting some trouble...

* * *

They managed to get to the town without concern, still Ceres peered about, as if wanting to be sure of something else as Anders paused as well, parking the vehicle before both got out, no one paying them too much attention. "I suspect we can gather support here?"

"Likely, Sir." Ceres answered as the pair headed through the streets of town, its name Sapphire Coasts for the close locations for swimming and surfing, it was further from the war zone as Knotmorre was an actual buffer, but it didn't undermine the threat as the people were more... fearful. "The Doctor didn't make too much of a move here, but he still swept through in his war with the heroes and G.U.N., setting up radio towers to broadcast his vile message to the masses, they have been removed, but the doubt and fear of your fellow Mobian is not easy to remedy."

"Let's hope we can change that soon." Anders answered as he looked about, not finding a good location to set up before local enforcement came through and toppled the operations, but he continued in observing what he could before they broke for a moment and he shared his input. "I have looked to see what we could work with, but only the dock workers seem to still have a spine for this war, the rest of these Mobians are too scared with looking over their shoulders to not be followed."

"That's not good, Sir, we can't endanger workers for a rise of this new faction." Ceres hummed as he clasped his hands together and continued. "We need strong muscles to fight the battles needed to be done."

"We also need hands to lift the burdens that we can not carry alone, Ceres." Anders countered as they leaned closer and continued. "I will not fault these people their fear, just makes our options more narrow than before." Anders hummed as he continued to muse. "We need to prove it to them, that they can stand up and fight for something." He paused as several members ran by, the pair looking at each other before getting up and following, falling into the crowd as they made it to the crowd as they stared up to a stand made and a young ferret approaching the mic, dressed in clashing colors of red, gray, and black, as Ceres scowled to Anders' question. "Attire familiar?"

"Egg Army, I've seen far too many to mistake a fake and that guy carries just as well." Anders peered back to see that the ferret opened his eyes, one normal white with brown iris while the other was glazed in black and peering with a red orb before he spoke.

"People of Sapphire Coasts, I am a member of the glorious Egg Army and I bring with me a message of invitation for all willing to be forgiven and join the great Empire of our venerable leader." Anders and Ceres looked around to the emerging robots, boxing them in as they drew close, the people starting to get more and more afraid as the ferret smirked. "It is demanded of us all to join the true power, so it is mandatory, none of you will be withdrawing without agreeing to join the Egg Army." Ceres nearly moved to attack, but Anders held him back as he whispered.

"We NEED to do something, Sir, this is forced conscription!"

"We can't..." Anders peered about as he answered. "We are completely surrounded, there are innocents in the crowd, and we can't risk them focusing on us solely."

"Are you mad!? We need to do something before it is too late, everyone here will be roboticized before we can even lift a finger, we have to take the chance."

"And what, Ceres?" Anders hissed back as he kept a firm grip on the bear's arm. "Use your head, we need to first understand how to turn the tables before making the action, sometimes one needs to wait and other times, you must act, this is the former..." He released and they eased as Anders continued. "If the Egg Army is trying to muscle forces to bolster its ranks, that is one thing, but tell me what is the usual method of recruitment...?" Ceres paused before he spoke, the robots patrolling as no one has decided to go forward with the trap.

"They are forceful, they only conscript those that are willing to work and honor the Empire, those that refuse are turned into Robians, mechanical forms that have their whole life restrained by a kill switch, a method to shut them down and trap them in their own bodies." He looked up as the duo kept an eye on both the round bots and the small amount of flying bugs. "This is different, this is a round up and conscription effort, also there was no mention of Robotnik made, only the bots, flags, and attire of the Empire, but the speaker is far from a fake, this must be a hidden operation." Anders nodded as Ceres continued. "I thought that something was up the moment that ferret spoke. I just... didn't clue in, Sir."

Anders removed his hand and let Ceres go as he spoke. "That is clear, Ceres, so right now we need to figure this out and wait on a distraction."

"Easily done than said, Egg Pawns are easy to crush, but I have my doubts about that weasel." The bears looked back over to the makeshift stage as the ferret was protected for the most part. "Even a speaker should be prepared for rebellion, we need to cut the head here before the serpent grows..."

"...And locate more sites to use." Anders pointed out as he continued. "I get the feeling that we are not just looking at an idle thing, if there are more sites being treated like this, then we need to uncover it."

"Yes, but where is the distraction when you need it...?" Anders paused and looked, Ceres was correct, it was going to take something to get a small amount to get off their backs. The azure fox grimaced a bit as he didn't see any... He stopped when he spotted movement from the corner, identifying the newcomers hiding in the shadows. In a assortment of caps, overalls, and a few weary looks were a number of Mobians, armed with wrenches, pipes, and other tools. The word instantly came to Anders as he mouthed from behind Ceres. 'Resistance...' He elbowed Ceres and the bear nearly started before Anders spoke.

"Get ready, we have our distraction..." Ceres nodded, slightly hidden from the peering eyes before Anders slid a hand over one of his pistols and griped as Ceres griped tight his fists before opening to some electricity sparking between the tips. One moment, that was all they need to make a change as they waited for it to come and come it did. Like a surge of a tide, the back line was suddenly attacked by dock workers, the robots were slow on the upkeep, but they turned their attention to the attackers and made to repel them. If not a person made a move, the attacking mob would have been cleaned up and delivered as 'recruits' for the Egg Empire...

...That did not happen as both fox and bear struck, tearing through the ranks of robots that were occupied by the mob and showing a lot more spine then expected as the crowd, finally freed, ran for their lives as Anders leapt with a boost from his boots and riddled the bots with ease while Ceres punched and swiped before lashing out with electric lines and ripped ranged foes and incoming bots alike like brittle metal as the ferret called out in disbelief. "No, no, no, no, come back at once!" He glared at the pair that have been wasting his robot legions after the mob made themselves known. "How dare you interfere with my master's grand design!"

"Don't whine." Anders answered as he pointed his left pistol at the speaker. "If you were not prepared for trouble, then why are you talking on that stage?" The snarl remained before it slipped to a smirk.

"You stand in the path of true control, now you will pay for your insolence!" The bottom of the stage erupted in a flurry of wood and steel as a mechanical behemoth of a caterpillar emerged and started to tear through the stone and rubble, the crowd have lingered to watch quickly running with screams, even the mob abandoned the fight as Ceres and Anders dodged the machine's attacks of charges and flying spikes as Ceres yelped.

"A Caterkiller Super Badnik!?"

"Indeed, it is time for you fools to face the power of the Empire!" The behemoth continued its rampage, forcing the pair on the defensive as they dodged from the attacks while keeping the attention on them before they ducked into some cover of dislodged rubble of stone.

"How are we intended to destroy this thing!?" Anders shouted as a flurry of spikes riddled their position.

"It's the head, the head will destroy this thing, but I don't know how we can while this thing is launching spines at us!?" Ceres shouted back as he grabbed some stones and hurled them in hopes that they could knock the thing's focus, but around the fifth one, a spike found his shoulder and he groaned in pain as he shouted. "Gah, it's no good!" Anders hissed as he turned to the other side with pistols readied before the ferret ranted.

"Behold, Sapphire Shores, the power that is held by the great Robotnik, follow and you will not be harmed, defy and you and those you love and care for will be shown the error of your ways!" Anders froze and Ceres noticed the change.

"Sir...?" Anders stood up and walked out as Ceres called out. "Sir!" He ducked down and peered over as the ferret laughed.

"So ends your resistance!" Another volley came, but Anders, without a pause, swung and the spikes were knocked out of the air as the ferret yelped. "What!?" Those that took cover and watched were in shock as well before the fox spoke.

"I fight for those that follow..." He fired and the thing was blasted back. "I fight for those that can't protect another..." Another round came from the other hand and the blast was the same as the giant machine recoil as Anders continued. "I fight for my allies that stand the line with me..." Both pistols leveled and he rapid-fired, the thing feeling the power as its body started to lift under the intense fire rate. "I fight for the girl who surrendered everything to BE someone!" All watched as the fire rate of intense rounds lifted the Super Badnik above as Anders spoke, his eyes aglow with rage. "SO DON'T YOU DARE INSULT ANYONE UNDER MY PROTECTION!" The rounds stopped before he targeted the head of the now-falling target and the barrels glowed before he spoke. "THIS IS OUR REVOLUTION!"

What came out were a burst of lasers that ripped through the machine, it erupting in midair with a massive shock wave that ripped across and blew out some windows inward as the ferret was left stammering as the dust and soil that was kicked up parted to the smoking barrels and the gaze that spelt doom. "I am Anders the Azure Fox, Commander of the new faction known as the Vanguard and I will end you here and now if you dare to insult who they are, they DON'T serve an empire bent on control, they DON'T serve a conglomeration of nations, nor are they captured by the praise of HEROES. They choose their path..." A barrel raised and fired, clipping the ferret's mechanical face as he spoke.

"...You dare to take their freedom away, worm?" The ferret promptly fainted and Anders spun his weapons before holstering them and walking into the inner works of town. "Ceres, follow suit behind me."

"Y-Yes, Sir!" The bear followed close behind as the harbor mob crept over, taking the ferret as a prisoner while the rest just lingered in shock and surprise, no one had ever dared to fight Robotnik when he came knocking, and yet a single fox faced the odds with a bear as his aid, he tore through the lines of Badniks that sought to oppress those form the harbor...

...And showed the town that he was a force to reckon with when the parts and pieces of a Super Badnik fell from the sky after being lifted so high in the air by mere rounds, the impact area showing heavy indentations after being recovered from the shore...

* * *

As if all at once, a blue hedgehog sprung up in huffed breath as he felt a rumble in the air, like energy going awry.

Another, a black drake breathed in surprise, gripping his chest as he felt a sudden pulse through his bones, confused as to what it meant.

A red echidna yelped in surprise as the jewel that he guarded suddenly blasted a radiant glow that shined across the clouds that the island it carried ferried through.

A sole princess opened her eyes as she felt the ripple through the very dimensions, confused as the power felt familiar to her senses with the future-bound psychic being informed mere moments after a sudden inspection.

Hours would pass before any movement started to go, but by the time that a trusted companion tried to locate the source with armed forces mobilizing for the first time in weeks, when the island that flies comes to halt over the great sea west of a harbor and preparations are made to locate the source... the holder of that power or whoever would have disappeared with a large amount of sailors, workers, and mechanics gone from the harbor warehouses and dry docks, the pockets of one ferret and connecting accounts to him emptied out of every Ring they had, amounting up to the hundred thousands...


End file.
